As the decade draws to a close, it is time to examine all the films released between 2010 and 2019 and answer the impossible question: “What is the best movie of the decade?” 

Some honorable mentions include “The Wolf of Wall Street,” “Get Out,” “Inside Llewyn Davis,” “Moonlight” and “Mommy.” This list is entirely subjective and listed in order of release. 

The Social Network (2010)

The pitch perfect match of director David Fincher (“Seven”) and writer Aaron Sorkin (“A Few Good Men”) resulting in one of the most critically-acclaimed films of the decade, should not have been a surprise to anyone. “The Social Network” shows Fincher and frequent cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth (“Gone Girl”) flex their muscles as they capture Sorkin’s snappy dialogue and set it against the pulsating and atmospheric music of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (“Patriot’s Day”). A literal dream team was created to tell the story of Facebook’s inception and growth into the mega corporation it is today, but more specifically to tell the story of the introverted Mark Zuckerberg and his fading friendship with Eduardo Saverin. An incredibly-fitting masterpiece to start the decade off with, “The Social Network” proves that even seemingly mundane stories about intellectual property theft can still produce an enthralling film about friendship, self victimization and isolation. 

Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

Many films depict mental illness, family struggles and misfits falling in love, yet none weave the three together as seamlessly as “Silver Linings Playbook.” Directed by David O. Russell (“Joy”), this romantic-comedy-drama stars Bradley Cooper (“A Star is Born”) as Pat and Jennifer Lawrence (“Dark Phoenix”) as Tiffany. Together, these two take point in an eccentric love story filled with a colorful cast of characters, hilariously authentic family relations and a sense of warmth and familiarity that make the film feel as if audiences are looking at old pictures of their own families, remembering both the best and worst of times. “Silver Linings Playbook” is quirky and goofy when it wants to be and painfully real when it has to be. It is hilarious, heartfelt, romantic, relatable and above all, endearing, resulting in arguably the best love story caught on film this decade. 

Prisoners (2013)

Directed by Denis Villenueve (“Blade Runner: 2049”), “Prisoners” is an extremely dark and tense depiction of the abduction of two little girls and the effect it has on their families. The cast all deliver career-best performances, especially Hugh Jackman (“The Greatest Showman”), who commands the screen with the desperation and rage that pulsate from his eyes. “Prisoners” fires on all cylinders with a heartbreaking story, visually-striking cinematography, gut-wrenching sequences that are almost too graphic to watch and impeccable direction from Villeneuve. It is atmospheric, visceral and rich with psychological drama as it shows the lengths a parent would go to in order to protect their child. “Prisoners” is an all-time great thriller with some of the most well-crafted character work of the decade through its masterful screenplay. It grabs audiences by the throat and holds its grip until the jaw-dropping third act concludes and the credits begin. 

Upstream Color (2013)

With a reported budget of $50,000 and holding the titles of director, writer, producer, actor, cinematographer, editor and composer, it is safe to consider Shane Carruth (“Primer”) to be a true auteur in every sense of the word. Starring Carruth, as well as the wonderful Amy Seimetz (“The Girlfriend Experience”), audiences are treated to a masterpiece of hypnotic imagery, sound design, music and editing, as they watch the lives of two scarred individuals who cross paths in more ways than one. Although one will not understand it fully after only one watch, the film’s all around aesthetic and engrossing atmosphere will hook the watcher if the story is too hard to hang on to. Carruth redefined what it means to make an indie film and has easily proven himself to be one of the industry’s most talented and interesting voices. 

20th Century Women (2016)

Opening with the vibrant blues of the Pacific Ocean and kindhearted narration introducing the characters, it is easy to guess the type of film that one is watching just from the atmosphere alone. It is both aggressively passionate and deeply caring of the characters in which it follows. Mike Mills (“Beginners”) structurelessly brings viewers to the summer of 1979 in Santa Barbara where they follow a close-knit group of five people played by Anette Bening (“American Beauty”), Lucas Jade Zumann (“Sinister 2”), Greta Gerwig (“Frances Ha”), Elle Fanning (“Super 8”) and Billy Crudup (“Where’d you go, Bernadette”). “20th Century Women” is filled with bittersweet and heartbreaking sequences as the audience follows a fatherless young boy, being taught by his mother, his girlfriend and his sister, about how to be a man. It is a remarkably empathetic five-person biography about masculinity, femininity and individualism, all set to a futuristic, yet somehow nostalgic score.

Sing Street (2016)

Taking place in the 1980s, “Sing Street” tells the story of Cosmo, a high-schooler from Ireland who falls in love with Raphina (Lucy Boynton, “Bohemian Rhapsody”) and forms a band to woo her. Apart from amazing and catchy songs like “Drive It Like You Stole It,” the film tells a universal coming-of-age story as Cosmo comes to terms with who he is through his art. In doing so, he learns how to stand up to bullies, tell the girl he loves how he feels and forms a bond with his older burnout brother, played by Jack Reynor (“Midsommar”) in an Oscar-worthy turn. More than anything, “Sing Street” is just fun to watch, capturing that youthful spark audiences all have and letting it burst through as we tap along to the music and root for Cosmo to achieve his better life. It is pure cinematic joy at its finest.  

American Honey (2016)

A film that began the reign of A24, “American Honey” stars Sasha Lane (“The Miseducation of Cameron Post”) in her film debut. The film follows a young woman as she abandons her rough family life to join a group of lost young adults who travel around America selling magazine subscriptions. Director Andrea Arnold (“Fish Tank”), with the help from a cast of mostly unknowns, save from Riley Keough (“The Girlfriend Experience”) and Shia LaBeouf (“Transformers”) in what is arguably his best performance, create an incredibly genuine atmosphere made up of naturalistic dialogue, strangely recognizable locations and the beautifully warm, unscripted and hypnotic cinematography that captures it all. Viewers watch as these broken young adults trek through the modern-day-Midwest within an unprecedented but ultimately satisfying two-hour and 43-minute-long runtime. Arnold’s epic odyssey through modern Americana is as structureless as it is hypnotic.

Call Me By Your Name (2017)

Possibly one of the most accurate portrayals of the general essence of summer, “Call Me By Your Name” is a sensory masterpiece with lush cinematography and captivating performances. Starring Timothee Chalamet (“The King”) as Elio in his most delicate performance to date, the film follows a teenager in the midst of an unforgettable summer in which he and his father’s student, Oliver, played by the surprisingly charismatic Armie Hammer (“The Social Network”), fall in love. There is something extremely engrossing about the way the movie sounds and looks that makes one feel they are experiencing the film within the other three senses as well. Through Luca Guadagnino’s (“Suspiria”) graceful, patient and frequently inspired direction and the more-than-appropriate music from Sujfan Stevens, the film puts audiences right next to Elio and makes them feel as if they are enjoying the sun and contemplating over mixed messages with him. 

Logan (2017)

If one was to determine a specific genre that ruled the decade, it is impossible to argue anything but the comic book film. Yet, only one superhero flick this decade managed to achieve an Oscar nomination for Best Screenplay. That film is “Logan.” Acting as the swan song for Hugh Jackman as the iconic X-Men character, director James Mangold (“Ford v. Ferrari”) takes a stripped down approach and tells the story of what happens to a superhero after the battle. Wolverine has to come to terms with his own mortality and become the hero he once was, one last time. It is a tour-de-force of acting and screenwriting, told in the style of a western and disguised as a superhero film. The film earns its R-rating with mature, adult themes regarding death and violence, while also throwing in some bloody and brutal action for good measure. 

Parasite (2019)

Watching Bong Joon-ho’s “Parasite” feels as if audiences are witnessing an all-time classic right before their eyes. The film depicts a lower-class family in South Korea who swindle an upper-class family into thinking they are professional tutors, chauffeurs and housekeepers. While the first act feels like a comedy, the film mutates into something else entirely by act two. “Parasite” is a dissection of classism, status, prejudice and family, and asks an uncomfortable question, “Would society even work if everyone was equal?” Entertaining as any superhero blockbuster, it does not follow the basic three-act-structure of most American films. It is a melancholic examination of very human issues, yet conveys them in a Hitchcock-like display of visceral, refreshing artistry. By the film’s end, it is clear that Joon-ho has created a masterpiece of cinema that will stand the test of time with the greats. 

Image from Sony Pictures Entertainment via YouTube